Portugal, Sicily, Greece and the Balkans

[Scash]

From Sofia we cross the border to North Macedonia and spent a night in Skopje. Skopje is quite a modern city but still has the old Turkish bazaars.

The man on the horse statue is called “Man on a Horse”! It is supposedly Alexander the Great but because there is a difference of opinion between the Greeks and Macedonians on where he came from and there’s a statue of him in Thessaloniki they chose that name to avoid conflict.

 

[RooFlyer]

The man on the horse statue is called “Man on a Horse”! It is supposedly Alexander the Great but because there is a difference of opinion between the Greeks and Macedonians on where he came from and there’s a statue of him in Thessaloniki they chose that name to avoid conflict.

i’m sure he was Alexander when I was there about six or eight years ago. As far as I recall the Macedonians couldn’t give a fig about what the Greeks think and fact like dropping the “North“ from their name just to annoy the other mob

 

[RooFlyer]

Braşov is a picturesque place and worth a visit.

did you get to that wine bar I suggested ?

 

[Scash]

i’m sure he was Alexander when I was there about six or eight years ago. As far as I recall the Macedonians couldn’t give a fig about what the Greeks think and fact like dropping the “North“ from their name just to annoy the other mob

My post was based on what our tour guide told to us and I should have fact checked it as I believe you are correct. Sorry about that.

 

[Scash]

did you get to that wine bar I suggested ?

Unfortunately we didn’t as we didn’t have a lot of free time there as most of the day was taken up with tour group activities.

 

[Scash]

Before crossing in to Albania we had a lunch stop at Struga which is a small tourist town on the shores of Lake Ohrid. The lake borders North Macedonia and Albania and is Europe’s oldest and deepest lake, measuring 298 meters at its deepest and is a popular summer destination for tourists.





As we crossed in to Albania the landscape was dotted with concrete bunkers which were built in the communist period to protect the people from foreign invasion.

 

[Scash]

We stayed the night in Tirana which is the Albanian capital but I don’t have any photos so it can’t have been that interesting . The next morning we headed to Montenegro and the town of Budva which is known as “Montenegro’s Miami”. Our accommodation is a massive one bedroom apartment and it’s a pity we’re only here for one night

 

[VPS]

We stayed the night in Tirana which is the Albanian capital but I don’t have any photos so it can’t have been that interesting . The next morning we headed to Montenegro and the town of Budva which is known as “Montenegro’s Miami”. Our accommodation is a massive one bedroom apartment and it’s a pity we’re only here for one night

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don't you hate it when you get really nice rooms that you are hardly in and then when you are somewhere for a few days you get really coughpy places sometimes

 

[RB]

don't you hate it when you get really nice rooms that you are hardly in and then when you are somewhere for a few days you get really coughpy places sometimes

Maybe generally true but just had a stay in Tirana & thought it was a great spot to have a look around and if nothing else the airport is certainly different

 

[Scash]

Maybe generally true but just had a stay in Tirana & thought it was a great spot to have a look around and if nothing else the airport is certainly different
View attachment 453231

We didn’t have much time there unfortunately. We got in late afternoon, had a bit of time for a freshen up and then on to a group dinner and then an early departure the next morning.

 

[Scash]

don't you hate it when you get really nice rooms that you are hardly in and then when you are somewhere for a few days you get really coughpy places sometimes

That did happen a few times but we did also get some nice rooms where we had a couple of nights. Scored a really nice room in Dubrovnik for two nights which I’ll post later.

 

[Scash]

Dubrovnik is our next destination with a stop on the way in the Old Town of Kotor which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since crossing in to Albania we have been travelling close to the coast and the views have been stunning. Definitely enjoying this part of the trip!

 

[Scash]

We visited Dubrovnik about 2 years ago but it’s the sort of place you can go back to. Last time we and stayed near the Old Town which was fantastic but this time we stayed nearer the new town which was also good. We stayed at the Hotel Kompas for 2 nights as part of the tour and the location and view (even if it was only partial) really made our time here.



And Mrs Scash’s favourite thing in Dubrovnik . And no that moustache has not been painted on

 

[Scash]

Next day we did a wine tasting at Winery Botaro about 45 minutes from Dubrovnik. The drive out was spectacular and the wine and platters equally spectacular. Would thoroughly recommend doing this if you’re in Dubrovnik.



On the way back to Dubrovnik we had a drink stop at the small coastal town of Cavtat.



My new yacht

 

[Scash]

Sadly we leave Dubrovnik and head to Sarajevo via Mostar to see the Stari Most or Old Bridge. The original bridge was built in the 1500’s but was destroyed during the Bosnian War and later rebuilt. It’s about 20 metres high and locals dive from it. Apparently there a frequent injuries and we did see one guy in a sling!



The road from Mostar to Sarajevo pretty much follows the Neretva River and has some amazing scenery along the way.

 

[RooFlyer]

We stayed at the Hotel Kompas for 2 nights as part of the tour and the location and view (even if it was only partial) really made our time here.

We were in the hotel Vis, just across the little bay, and it was the worst hotel of our tour.



Snap - 7th pic down.

Post in thread 'Europe, with an Arctic cruise, a Balkan tour and bits of France and Malta'

Jun 10, 2025

We set off for Mostar; it was still Eid ul-Adha, so traffic was pretty light. This is our route today, with several stops through the mountains.



Bullet and shrapnel holes in almost every building.





South of Sarajevo, some Motorway! Clear sailing







We passed a bridge, Stara Ćuprija 'The Old Bridge' spanning the Neretva River in the town of Konjic. Its an Ottoman period structure, built 1682, but as is common, not all is what it appears. The deck was blown up by the retreating Germans in WW2 and it was...

• RooFlyer

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[Scash]

We had a two night stay in Sarajevo at the Hotel Europe which is the oldest hotel in Sarajevo. It was originally built in 1882 but has undergone extensive renovations over time. The hotel is right beside old ruins of an Ottoman caravanserai where travellers could stop for food and shelter. Our room was very roomy but not sure about the orange carpet!



That night we were separated in to small groups and had dinner with a local family. Our host was a teacher and school principal and had lived through the Bosnian war as a young child. She spoke about the war and its impact on her and her family and at times she was in tears . There was the constant danger from artillery and gun fire, and the severe lack of food. She also spoke about her general life, her family and her love of travel. It was a moving, sad and uplifting experience.

Times are obviously much better but there is still endemic government corruption which is holding the country back. On a brighter note the food was typical Bosnian fare and was amazing.

First up was chicken and vegetable soup.



Followed by cheese pie (pastry), cabbage salad and stuffed vine leaf, pepper and onion with mashed potato. We also had a glass of local white wine and finished with baklava and Bosnian coffee (forgot to take a photo).

 

[Scash]

The next day we did a trip to the Tunnel of Hope and learnt about the Bosnian War from a locals perspective. On the way we traveled down “sniper alley” which is the main boulevard of Sarajevo and past Hotel Holiday which was formerly known as the Holiday Inn. It was from here that snipers fired on peaceful protesters which then started the Siege of Sarajevo. Also have a look at @RooFlyer recent trip report.

The Tunnel of Hope was built under the Sarajevo airport as a way for people to escape and also bring in food and artillery. It has been partly recreated as part of the war museum.



Later that day we did a walking tour of the Old Town and visited the spot where “east meets west”. From this spot if you look to the west you’ll see the Ottoman influence and to the east the Austro-Hungarian.



We then visited the Gaza Husrev-beg Mosque with a talk/discussion with the Imam. The Mosque itself is impressive to look at on the inside but the talk with the Imam was a highlight. He was moderate in his views (to us at least) and spoke about religion and the link and commonality between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but also did not hold back about his views of the press from the mainly western world (but particularly American) and their racial and religious stereotyping. It was very interesting.

Inside the Mosque.



The nearby Catholic Church.



We then ventured to the spot where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 which was the spark to set fire to already existing tensions culminating in WW1. The story around his assassination is worth a read as like a lot of things good luck bad luck was involved depending on which side you were on.

The corner where he and his wife were shot and a replica of the car they were being driven in. Note the number plate… 111118 which if you read as a calendar date is the day WW1 ended!




Position where the shooter stood

 

[Scash]

Sarajevo City Hall was our next stop and a visit to the permanent exhibition dedicated to war crime trials. The building was previously the National Library but was destroyed by fire caused by a single projectile in 1992 and over 2 million books, archives etc were destroyed. It now houses the city administration.



This display is a tribute to to Vedran Smailovic or the Cellist of Sarajevo. He would play in the ruins of the city, often in dangerous conditions, to try and raise the spirit of the people. In particular he played for 22 days straight to honour the 22 people killed while waiting in line for bread.

The books are a representation of the ones destroyed in the fire.

 

[RooFlyer]

The corner where he and his wife were shot and a replica of the car they were being driven in

That wasn't there when we were there!

We didn't visit the inside of the City Hall. Disappointed in retrospect.